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Loyal Silversea passengers know it's a cruise line that doesn't skimp on, well, anything. Decor is simple yet elegant, making the ships peaceful places to unwind after a day of exploration in port. But with ever more expedition cruises visiting the 'WhiteContinent', it can be tricky to work out which ship is the rightone for you. As you would expect, trips to Antarctica are notcheap, so this is an important decision to get right.
Hurtigruten Expeditions
Outings are twice-daily in 18 Zodiacs led by a 20-member expedition team or in the 14 onboard kayaks. Some begin in Buenos Aires; others start in Santiago and include more of South America, such as Patagonia and the Chilean fjords. The line also offers coveted sailings that include time inside the Antarctic Circle, not just out on the Peninsula. The line attracts a slightly older mainstream passenger than Celebrity, and the extended cruise length rules out almost all families. Expect seasoned travelers onboard, particularly those who’ve sailed Holland America before. Luxury line Seabourn have been slowly edging into the expeditionarena over the last few years, introducing their 'Ventures bySeabourn' programme of excursions by zodiac and kayak in selecteddestinations.
Your Antarctica Expedition Team
This Cruise Line Will Make Antarctica Trips Easier Next Year — Here's How - Travel + Leisure
This Cruise Line Will Make Antarctica Trips Easier Next Year — Here's How.
Posted: Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Oceanwide Expeditions is a Dutch vessel operator specializing only in polar cruising. Like the Dutch cartographers of their namesake ships, they follow meticulous attention to detail and refinement because safety and experience depends on it. Their fleet of three expedition ships are not fancy but known for excellent standards of service and comfort.
I went on a 22-day cruise for $144 a day, worth it: Holland America - Business Insider
I went on a 22-day cruise for $144 a day, worth it: Holland America.
Posted: Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Leaving Ushuaia and Cruising Across the Drake Passage
We profile each Antarctic tour company and why you should consider cruising with them. One of the most enthralling aspects of Antarctica is the fact that it’s virtually untouched by humans. The bays you’ll visit during your Antarctica cruise are a startling shade of blue and remarkably clear, making for some of the most beautiful unspoiled views you’ll get anywhere on the planet.
Best Luxury Cruises to Antarctica
Viking Octantis is designed to carry 378 passengers, which is on the high side for Antarctica cruise ships. Like Hurtigruten's Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, it isn't able to land all or even most of its passengers at once in Antarctica. Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to small Zodiac boats for landings while still in the protected interior of the ship. For that reason, I am partial to the older but more intimate Hurtigruten polar vessel Fram, which carries just 200 passengers when operating in Antarctica. But Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen have one big advantage versus that ship and many others operating in Antarctica, which is that their starting rates for trips to the region are significantly lower.
Night Antarctic Peninsula DiscoveryDetails
While the standard package includes a range of amenities, additional activities and alcoholic beverages are available at extra cost, allowing guests to tailor their experience. These cruises set sail from Buenos Aires and include a charter flight to and from Ushuaia, the gateway to Antarctica. Viking provides essential gear, with alcohol included during meals (other drinks come at an extra cost). Although activities vary by room class, and there’s no discount for solo travelers, the level of inclusion ensures a comfortable and comprehensive Antarctic experience.
Why Cruise with Aurora Expeditions
Named after the legendary Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen - the first man to traverse the Northwest Passage in 1903, and reach the Geographical South Pole in 1911. WWF-Australia is a well-established conservation organisation helping protect our natural environment. Donations from our trips help their pioneering whale research and conservation efforts to establish marine protected areas around Antarctica and save whale species from extinction. If you have an average fitness level (and above) you are compatible with Antarctica travel, so you don't need to spend hours in the gym before considering booking a trip.
Antarctica Cruise Packing List: A Prepared Girl’s Guide
And if you have some flexibility in your travel plans, there’s a big potential to lock in some remarkable last-minute deals. Smaller ships have much better manoeuvrability, which allows them to navigate through narrow channels and into tight bays to allow you to access Antarctica close up. Their focus leans towards a genuine and immersive experience rather than mere sightseeing, with activities such as snorkelling, scuba diving and stand-up paddleboarding available to purchase. Australian enterprise Aurora Expeditions has carved a niche for itself in the realm of polar travel for being a bit more adventurous than the rest, without compromising safety. We’ve travelled with a whole variety of polar operators, and here’s our top 5 recommendations and why.
Go with the global leader in expeditions to Antarctica
Ushuaia is home to the Tierra Del Fuego National Park and is the main cruise terminal for almost all ships heading to Antarctica. On Atlas Ocean Voyages, you’ll find a highly inclusive approach to luxury expedition cruising. Guests will also enjoy numerous enrichment lectures and destination briefings by the highly experienced expedition team. Adventure Canada operates small-ship expedition cruises to some of the world’s most remote places. The adventure cruise line offers two voyages to Antarctica in February aboard Ocean Endeavour — Adventure Canada’s ice-strengthened vessel with a capacity of 198 guests.
Science has a long and storied legacy on Antarctica, and you can join the ranks of all those who have searched for answers in the ice and water by joining Ponant’s 15-day voyage aboard the elegant Le Commandant Charcot. This trip will also give guests the best possible view of the eclipse, as the ship charts a course further south than most sailings, through the shifting ice floes of the eastern Weddell Sea. When it's time for the big show, guests will actually disembark to view the eclipse from atop floating slabs of ice. The Hurtigruten vessels are some of the largest inthe region, which limits landings, but they offer an excellent costeffective option. The first, Seabourn Venture, launched in 2022, with interiors by designerAdam D Tihany and high-tech toys including a pair of six-seatersubmarines whilst Seabourn Pursuit has recently launched. Antarctica is a keydestination for the new ships, building on the successful Antarcticprogramme developed on board Seabourn Quest.
High-tech touches include a GPS that lets it hover in sensitive areas without dropping anchor. Lindblad was the original pioneer of tourist trips to Antarctica, and it has years of experience in the region that has helped shape the way it designed these nearly identical vessels, both specifically built for polar travel. Silversea offers a plethora of voyage options to Antarctica on the Silver Cloud, Silver Explorer, and Silver Wind.
As it is common with cruises the price mentioned fluctuates based on how close it is to the departure date. The ships themselves must be polar class but ship amenities are a secondary consideration. There are ships for every style and budget, from simple research ships to extravagant luxury expedition ships. With so many Ponant ships sailing luxury Antarctica cruises, expect plentiful opportunities to find your perfect sail date.
An open bar, Wi-Fi, all Zodiac excursions (led by naturalist driver-guides, of course), laundry service and gratuities are among fare inclusions. A&K Antarctica sails also add a two-night pre-cruise handpicked luxury hotel stay in Buenos Aires, and roundtrip charter flights and transfers between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina, the embarkation and debarkation ports. Quark's 172-passenger World Explorer’s amenities include all-suite accommodations, polar library, gym, pool, sauna and spa, plus activities such as kayaking, camping and stand-up paddleboarding.
Lectures are of a high standard, and you can expect to always bewith an expert, whether in the zodiacs or ashore, as a result ofthe excellent guest to guide ratio of about one guide to every 12guests. With this in mind, we've put together this guide to the bestAntarctic expedition cruises. All members — regardless of status — will enjoy a $250 onboard credit to use on incidentals.
The benefit of staying at a camp is that you can explore deeper into the continent rather than returning to the ship each night to sleep. Currently, Albatros operates a fleet of two ships, including Ocean Atlantic and Ocean Victory, which can accommodate 186 to 199 guests. Ocean Victory’s equally luxurious sister ship, Ocean Albatros, is scheduled to sail in 2022. Albatros Expeditions is the polar expedition arm of the Denmark-based Albatros Travel conglomerate.
Designed for close-up polar exploration, there's no better way to encounter the wildlife of Antarica and to enjoy its soul-stirring scenery. This question is something we thought long and hard about before deciding to run our own ship in Antarctica. We’re deeply committed to being a responsible business and understanding the impact we have on the places we visit.
